Footwear patch for identifying blood type

ABSTRACT

A removable patch is provided for connecting to footwear. The footwear can be any shoe, boot, sandal, or other outer covering for a foot. In embodiments, the patch includes information about a blood type of the wearer. Thus, in combat or other operations, a medic or other personnel can quickly identify the blood type of a user.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/737,686 (Attorney Docket No. 93168-855283 (002110US)), filed on Dec. 14, 2012, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The following references may be relevant to this technology.

Reference Title U.S. Pat. No. 6,684,543 Shoe Mounted Identification Assembly and Method U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,892 System and Method for Carrying Medical and/or Personal Information U.S. Pat. No. 6,449,881 Detachable Shoe Wallet U.S. Pat. No. 6,115,948 Decorative Attachments for Articles of Clothing and Footwear U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,790 Shoe Having Individualized Display Areas U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,150 Identification System for Footwear U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,195 Identification Tag U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,276 Shoe Having a Replaceable Logo U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,362 Removable Indicia for Footwear, Particularly and Athletic Shoe U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,102 Velcro-Encapsulated Label for Shoes and the Like U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,512 Identification Device U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,566 Jogger and Runner Shoe Identification US Application 2009/0260267 Lace for a Shoe Having a Tongue and Horizontal Pairs of Shoelace Holes and for Displaying a Message Over the Tongue of the Shoe and Between the Horizontal Pairs of Shoelace Holes of the Shoe US Application 2008/0163514 Shoe with Detachable Ornamentation US Application 2007/0245598 Shoe Tags US Application 2007/0157358 Garment with Discrete Medical Tags US Application 2004/0159028 Information Engraved on Metallic Tags Adhered to the External Surfaces of Shoes US Application 2004/0111942 Information Tag

In addition to the above, applicants are aware of operators/field personnel that writing blood type and/or abbreviated critical information such as “No Known Drug Allergies” or “No Penicillin” on the backs of their boots with indelible markers.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary of some embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

Embodiments herein are directed to patches that are placed on the outside of a shoe. The patches can be attached, for example, by hook and loop closures. In embodiments, the patch is attached is displayed on the back of a wearer's heel so that the patch is fully viewable from behind the wearer.

In embodiments, the patch can display medical information about the wearer. For example, the patch can display a blood type of the wearer. In this manner, in a combat or other emergency situation, medical conditions, such as blood type, can be quickly and easily identified and the wearer can be treated accordingly.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention, reference should be made to the ensuing detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe incorporating a shoe patch in accordance with embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a partial cutaway exploded perspective view of the shoe of FIG. 1, with the shoe patch removed.

FIG. 3 is perspective view of the shoe of FIG. 1, with a different patch in place on the shoe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, various embodiments of the present invention will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the embodiment being described.

In accordance with embodiments, a removable patch is provided for connecting to footwear. The footwear can be any shoe, boot, sandal, or other outer covering for a foot. In embodiments, the patch includes information about a blood type of the wearer. Thus, in combat or other operations, a medic or other personnel can quickly identify the blood type of a user. This feature is more readily viewable for a medical professionals, which typically goes to medical alert bracelets or some other form of identification for a person's blood type or possible health issues

Additional or other information can be provided on the removable patch, such as drug allergies, other medical information, or other identification information. In addition, in accordance with embodiments, the removable patch can be replaced with a logo or blank patch.

If desired, footwear can be sold with a patch kit having multiple patches, each patch having different information thereon, permitting a wearer to select a particular patch, for example in accordance with the blood type of the individual. Alternatively or additionally, patches of different varieties can be sold or otherwise made available to wearers.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows a shoe 10 incorporating a patch 12 in accordance with embodiments. The patch 12 shown in the drawings includes a blood type of the wearer, in this case, A+. The patch 12 can alternatively display other medical and/or identification information.

In embodiments, a series of patches 12 can be kept for supplying to operators in accordance with blood type. The patch 12 can additional or alternatively include abbreviated critical information such as “No Known Drug Allergies” or “No Penicillin.”

In the case of injury and dire circumstances, the information on the patch 12 becomes vital information for the field medics and can be used in conjunction with their dog tags.

In embodiments, the patch 12 is connected to the shoe 10 by loop 14 and hook 16 fasteners (FIG. 2). Other connectors can be used, but in embodiments, the patch is removable.

FIG. 3 shows a patch 112 attached to the shoe. The patch 112 includes a logo, in this case, a logo owned by the assignee of the present disclosure. Such a logo patch could be included on the shoe 10 when sold, and/or could be substituted for the patch 12 when an operator is off duty.

The loop 14 and hook 16 permits a manufacturer to package a series of patches with a single pair of shoes or other footwear, or patches can be provided to a centralized person or organization for distribution to operators. The patches can denote all of or a subset of the blood types and more common abbreviations used in operations.

For example, each pair of shoes can be provided with a strip of perforated patches of all blood types, common abbreviations for blood types, and a blank patch and/or logo patch (e.g., the patch 112) all backed with the hook closure 16. A particular patch can be cut or otherwise removed from the strip and applied to the loop landing spot 14 on the footwear/shoe 10. Once the patches are in place, the operators' vital information is secure and clearly displayed.

The loop fastener 14 can be provided on a right shoe or other footwear, left, or both. Different information can be provided on the left and right shoes, such as blood type on a left shoe, and known allergies on a right shoe. In addition, although described as a “patch”, blood type information can be displayed on any label, fabric, plate, or other material or structure that is removably attachable to a shoe or other footwear.

Displaying the patch on the heel of the footwear provides prominent display of the patch while the wearer is wearing the footwear in ordinary operations. Thus, medical or other personnel trying to identify the information on the patch can do so merely by viewing the information. Moreover, the prominent position on the heel is removed from much contact during operations, and provides a secure, safe, attachment area.

Other variations are within the spirit of the present invention. Thus, while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term “connected” is to be construed as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joined together, even if there is something intervening. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. Footwear, comprising: a singular footwear implement; and a structure releasably attachable to the footwear implement, the structure including information about a blood type of a wearer of the footwear implement.
 2. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the structure is releasably attachable to a heel portion of the footwear implement.
 3. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the structure is releasably attachable to the footwear implement via hook and loop fasteners.
 4. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the information about a blood type comprises an abbreviation for a blood type.
 5. Footwear, comprising: a shoe comprising a heel region, with a rearmost portion of the heel region; a fastener positioned at the rearmost portion of the heel region; and a patch removably attached to the fastener.
 6. The footwear of claim 5, wherein the fastener and the patch comprises hook and loop fasteners.
 7. The footwear of claim 5, wherein the patch is prominently displayed and viewable at the rearmost portion of the heel region when the patch is attached to the fastener.
 8. The footwear of claim 5, wherein the patch comprises information about a blood type.
 9. The footwear of claim 8, wherein the information about a blood type comprises an abbreviation for a blood type.
 10. The footwear of claim 5, wherein the patch comprises medical information about a wearer of the footwear.
 11. The footwear of claim 5, wherein the patch comprises identification information about a wearer of the footwear.
 12. A footwear package, comprising: footwear; an attachment location on at least one of the footwear; and a set of patches for removably attaching to the attachment location.
 13. The footwear package of claim 12, wherein at least some of the set of patches comprise different blood types.
 14. The footwear package of claim 12, wherein at least one of the series of patches comprises a logo.
 15. The footwear package of claim 12, wherein the set of patches comprises a strip of perforated patches comprising multiple blood types.
 16. The footwear package of claim 15, wherein the set of patches further comprises a blank patch.
 17. The footwear package of claim 15, wherein the set of patches further comprises a logo patch. 